Products with that individual twist are not really new. It has long been possible to get a basic T-shirt, baseball cap or umbrella printed with a name or photo.

But big consumer brands, including major names like Coca-Cola, and Nike have latched on to personalised products because they seem to have a particular appeal to consumers known as "Millennials" in marketing speak.

Used to posting selfie mobile phone shots on social media, this generation, who came of age from around 2000, wants something more than just the latest hot brand name.

Millennials still like brands but expect them to listen and react to their ideas and criticism in real time and allow them a role in shaping future products.

They have become a big focus of marketing experts as their spending power grows.

"They're drawn to brands who are rethinking the way things are done. They want to be heard," Maryleigh Bliss, trends editor at youth marketing firm Ypulse, told the World Retail Congress earlier this year.

Early to respond was Mars Inc, which prints tiny personal messages and photos on M & Ms chocolates, and Coca-Cola which scored a hit by putting people's names on its bottles, selling more than 150 million.

"It was a crazy idea but ... it really connected because it has all the characteristics that appeal to Millennials," Coca-Cola chief marketing officer Joe Tripodi said.

"It was customisable, it was social." Coca-Cola has gone a step further to produce its first fully user-generated commercial, including shaky videos showing its fans enjoying a Coke. It has also come up with the Freestyle machine which allows people to mix their own soft drink.

The "co-creation" fad is spreading to more complex products and processes as technology brings down costs.

U.S. sportswear firm Nike allows people to customise colours of shoes and accessories. German rival Adidas has tapped into the selfie obsession by offering shoppers the option to put personal images on the uppers of ZX Flux sneakers.